1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display screen turning apparatus, and more particularly, it relates to a display screen turning apparatus having a display screen portion formed to be horizontally rotatable.
2. Description of the Background Art
A display screen turning apparatus having a display screen portion formed to be horizontally rotatable is known in general. Such a display screen turning apparatus is disclosed in each of Japanese Patent Laying-Open Nos. 2008-51830, 2005-284087, 10-131944 (1998), 7-240890 (1995) and 2000-184314, for example.
The aforementioned Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2008-51830 discloses a display screen turning apparatus including a base having an upright portion (shaft) formed to extend in the vertical direction and a rotational member supporting a display screen portion. The rotational member is formed to horizontally rotate with respect to the base around the upright portion serving as the center of rotation. Thus, the display screen portion is horizontally rotatable around the upright portion serving as the center of rotation.
The aforementioned Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-284087 discloses a turning apparatus for a thin display screen (display screen turning apparatus) including a base member (base), a bracket member (rotational member) mounted with the thin display screen and a main shaft extending in the vertical direction to pass through the base member and the bracket member. The bracket member is formed to horizontally rotate with respect to the base member around the main shaft serving as the center of rotation. Thus, the thin display screen is horizontally rotatable around the main shaft serving as the center of rotation.
The aforementioned Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 10-131944 discloses a rotation support mechanism (display screen turning apparatus) including a rotational base (rotational member) receiving a display and a fixed base (base) having a rotation support protrusion formed to extend in the vertical direction. The rotational base is formed to horizontally rotate with respect to the fixed base around the rotation support protrusion serving as the center of rotation. Thus, the display is horizontally rotatable around the rotation support protrusion serving as the center of rotation.
The aforementioned Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 7-240890 discloses a cabinet rotating apparatus (display screen turning apparatus) including a cabinet (rotational member) storing a display screen and a base supporting the cabinet. The cabinet has a plurality of arcuate ribs forming an arc centering on a prescribed axis on the bottom surface thereof, and the base has arcuate grooves engaging with the plurality of arcuate ribs of the cabinet respectively. The arcuate ribs are so guided into the arcuate grooves that the cabinet horizontally rotates with respect to the base around the central axis, serving as the center of rotation, of the arc. Thus, the display screen is horizontally rotatable around the central axis, serving as the center of rotation, of the arc formed by the arcuate ribs.
The aforementioned Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2000-184314 discloses a rotating apparatus (display screen turning apparatus) including a receiver body having a display screen and a rotation stand (base) receiving the receiver body. The receiver body has a pair of downwardly protruding rotating shafts on the bottom surface thereof, while the rotation stand has a pair of arcuate movement guide grooves formed to receive the pair of rotating shafts of the receiver body in a slidable manner respectively when the receiver body is placed on the upper surface thereof. The receiver body is so formed that, when the first rotating shaft is positioned on an end of the first movement guide groove, the second rotating shaft horizontally rotates with respect to the rotation stand along the second arcuate movement guide groove around the first rotating shaft. Thus, the display screen is horizontally rotatable around the first rotating shaft serving as the center of rotation. In this rotating apparatus, the display screen is also horizontally rotatable around the second rotating shaft serving as the center of rotation, similarly to the above. In the rotating apparatus according to the aforementioned Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2000-184314, the receiver body is directly placed on the rotation stand, and no support portion is provided for supporting the receiver body.
However, while the display screen portion is horizontally rotatable around the upright portion, the main shaft, the rotation support protrusion or the central axis of the arc formed by the arcuate ribs serving as the center of rotation in each of the display screen turning apparatuses described in the aforementioned Japanese Patent Laying-Open Nos. 2008-51830, 2005-284087, 10-131944 and 7-240890, the display screen portion rotated around the upright portion, the main shaft, the rotation support protrusion or the central axis of the arc formed by the arcuate ribs can be rotated only along a single rotational track, and the degree of freedom in arrangement of the display screen portion is disadvantageously reduced.
In the rotating apparatus described in the aforementioned Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2000-184314, the display screen can be rotated around both of the rotating shafts serving as the centers of rotation, and hence the degree of freedom in arrangement of the display screen is improved as compared with the display screen turning apparatuses described in the aforementioned Japanese Patent Laying-Open Nos. 2008-51830, 2005-284087, 10-131944 and 7-240890. According to Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2000-184314, however, the rotating apparatus is provided with no support portion supporting the receiver body, and hence the receiver body must be self-supported on the rotation stand. When the receiver body is formed by a thin display or the like having a long and narrow bottom surface, therefore, the receiver body cannot be stably placed on the rotation stand.